The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail (Bible Speaks Today | BST)

by Dale Ralph Davis

Publisher:

Inter-Varsity

, 2013

Overview

God had allowed the unthinkable to happen. His people were in exile in Babylon, and His promises seemed shattered. Was He really in control? Was He faithful? Did He still care? One young man, Daniel, affirmed God’s sovereignty and love, although it was not without cost.

The book of Daniel contains well-known stories: Daniel in the den of lions, his three companions—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—in a fiery furnace, and the strange handwriting on the wall at Belshazzar’s feast, which struck terror in the heart of the Babylonian king. Daniel’s enigmatic visions and prophecies about the future, however, can be difficult to understand.

Dale Ralph Davis explores the background, discusses significant interpretive issues and problems, and offers a lively exposition of Daniel’s message, which may be summed up in the words of Jesus: “The end is not yet . . . but the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:7, 13). The book of Daniel is a realistic survival manual for Christians, still vitally relevant for the church in today’s world.

A replacement volume in The Bible Speaks Today: Old Testament series, this book offers a new exposition on the book of Daniel.

Key Features

• Applies the truth of Scripture to everyday life in the contemporary world
• Engages a variety of readers with accessible, nontechnical language
• Analyzes the flow of thought in passage-by-passage exposition of Old Testament books
• Provides insightful treatment of key themes

Contents

Top Highlights

“What matters for them is not deliverance but obedience.” (Page 56)

“So they were unsure of God’s circumstantial will (whether they escape) but were sure of God’s revealed will (‘You shall have no other gods besides me’)¹⁶.” (Page 56)

“Seeing this secret behind history may not keep God’s people from pain but should keep them from panic; we may still be fearful but should not be frantic.” (Page 101)

“because their words are a confession of the failure of paganism” (Page 43)

“First, God reveals how futile pagan religion is (1–30)” (Page 42)

Endorsements

David, obviously a capable preacher, explains the background to Daniel, sifts through interpretive issues (some of them quite problematic) and then offers a faithful exposition of the book's message. Recommended.

—Bob Robinson, Latimer Fellowship

This is a commentary that serves both the laity and preachers. Davis doesn’t load the text with too many technical points but allows for a good flow for reading. He retains the technical elements but keeps them in the footnotes. It definitely serves as a wonderful entry point into the book of Daniel.

—Kent I. Compton, Haddington House Journal

Product Details

• Title: The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail
• Author: Dale Ralph Davis
• Series: The Bible Speaks Today
• Publisher: Inter-Varsity
• Print Publication Date: 2013
• Logos Release Date: 2015
• Pages: 173
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Daniel › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9781844748013, 1844748014
• Resource ID: LLS:BST27DA
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T22:22:26Z

About Dale Ralph Davis

Dale Ralph Davis is a minister in residence at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to that, he was a professor of Old Testament at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, as well as pastor of Woodland Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He is the author of numerous commentaries, including those on Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings.